Bohemian Transformers!

Allo' the Internet...

heres a couple of comics from me sketchbook, on the left "Bohemian" was drawn last week, on a tuesday I believe... and on t' right "Transformers" I drew a few hours ago... Boxing day is a good time to doodle away...

But... Merde! the six pager Abes working on for his internship has gone to crap...  I cant actually draw right, right now. If you catch my drift... thats why all the single page sketchbook comics... I figured it best go back to a place Im comfortable with before I attempt the anthology piece again...

Attempting to draw the anthology piece reminded me of the frustrated feeling I used to have  with my drawing back in me mid-teens.  Before I became comfortable with the way my hands produced images differing from what the blank sheet proposed to my mind... Ah ha!

Anyhoo... take a listen to Albert Hammond Jr & freinds playing In Transit Acoustic stylee...

Cleethopes, oh Cleethorps

Howdy, 'ternet folks!

Havent posted for a wee while (seems a recurring theme in these posts hmm?) so heres a comic from my sketchbook, can be read a a two pager or as two one page stories... walking far away from Cleethorpes along the beach... you hit spots of radient beauty. 

The trick is to walk an hour or so. Try it on a seaside town near you, In Abes experience it usually works.

Visited Belgium last week with the other comicy 'turns... and in amongst a hectic schedule, dashing all round the country... managed to get ahold o' Lupus by Frederik Peeters! ah ha! untranslated, but hey pictures & words... pictures and words. 

 More on belgium on the our comic blog...

www.londonprintstudiocomics.blogspot.com

Thank you to Captain 'Anonymous', who pointed me in the direction o' Louis Armstrongs (What Did I Do To Be So)  Black & Blue...

Doodles, Drawings etc

Been a'working in a petite way over the last week, after the extreme bout of drawing last week...

But above is a coloured rough for the six page story Abe's making for the londonprintstudio anthology, the six pages will be an excerpt from the graphic novel Abe's working on... at the moment just writing and thumbnailing so t'is a nice change to draw up some roughs...

In other news... 

Made it to twenty-five pages with this comic... in but seven days... tis most assuredly a record for young (well...quite young) Abe. It's a highly emotionally charged piece... but told through hyper masculine supermen... Ho humm.

pretentious eh?!

Oh,  and the Holy Modal Rounders are currently flipping me jib! have a listen yo! 

Wham, Urghhh

So, heres another page from the comic I started on saturday... I done got 15 pages done so far...

It's a romance story really... triumph over odds etc... Just I wanted to tell it through superhero godlike, alien creatures... and lots of over the top action scenes. such as the one above...

Need to get on with it now!

Abe mentions Beat Happening too much... but they're a flipping amazing band! Listen. Now! Listen!

Beat Happening - "Tiger Trap"

Comix Roughage

Heres a page from summut I doodled just now. Just had a vauge idea of plot in me mind... draw draw draw... made it to four pages... drawn roughly with brush-pen then coloured digitally...

But 'yawn', far too tired to ramble on bout drawing now... suffice to say that Abe likes a style that means he can get a page completed in twenty five minutes... 

Anyhoo... check out retrofit comics... Its a supercool scheme!

and to leave you with a song, heres Anna Karina & Serge Gainsbourg 'Ne dis rien'

Bon nuit

Anthology Practice

Well, Abe's been hard at work interning over at londonprintstudio , no excuse for the lack of posting reeeaally. But... Ho humm.

working at le cine last night had an interesting mini debate as to comics cultural legitimacy... you can see it in technicolour over at doodledaydream!!! And after that shameless plug... Heres a rough of one o' the pages in a six pager for the anthology we're putting together in the print studio... The style wont be like this... just working out the panel layouts... and experimenting with colour... liked it so thought I'd put  it up.

Just listen to this wonderful Twee indie pop, heard it yesterday... like an injection of honey for the heart... so sweet!

Lispector- Peachtree Street 

Another Blog Post

Howdy folks... sorry haven't posted in a wee while... been very busy... went to Comiket on Sat with the other comicy interns... didn't sell much, but the word was most assuredly spread!

Heres a comic abe doodled last week nothing great or anything... just nice to do... ho humm.

Got to meet an amazing comic artist on friday... check it oot on me daily comic blog...

http://doodledaydream.blogspot.com/2011/11/issue-no-214-frederik-peeters.html

Oh.. and the writings going well...If'n you were curious.

And lastly... Abe shouldn't go on too much... but Drive has a flipping amazing soundtrack... so just... listen to it! Desire - 'Under your spell'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K7rmxjk5RQ

Hot Dang! I do Believe...

Hot Dang!

I believe Abe has found t' style.

Just need to get the writing completed... 

Je T'aime!

Heres some fleeting & beautiful music by David Torn, From Lars and the Real Girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5IF7QHnPJM

Tonight Abe may be Elsewhere

One thing to apologise for... the images I've been putting up recently have all pretty much been odds and ends... This post wont be an end that trend, but an excuse... 

So Abes been working hard... and has been spread pretty thin these days... lots to do.

Anyhoo, heres some compiled rough images for the planned comic "Tonight I may be Elsewhere", it has a nice ring to it, no?  I have the story all plotted out... needs fleshing out... and the characters are me reg'lar stock... This is just to give ye a petite sampling of where Abes at right now... RIGHT NOW!

Um.

One of my favorite pieces ever... Love Louis Armstrongs version best... but heres the astounding original..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvhq3V8ZhTA

Sorry Sorry Sorry

Heres another page form "The 5.45 News"... But.. I drew this about two weeks ago... I made it to six pages, and the plan is for twelve... Abe has just had no time... Sorry sorry sorry! I shall get back on track at some point... t'is just that my time hasnt really been my own of late... boo!

On the positive side.. I stayed up real late last o saturday... and got the layouts for the first 27 pages of my re-planned 'ahem' graphic novel endeavour done... But this time I really need to get the whole thing drafted... then re-written etc etc before I start to draw properly!

Normally Abes's not overly into Hip Hopping... but this is just to good!

"they reminise over you"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiOcVWQY2bc&feature=youtu.be

Free Comics Workshops!!!

Hey folks... Feeling 16-20 years old...and desiring free comic workshops??? Know anyone who might be interested??? londonprintstudio's running em' so why not give comics a go?!!?!?!

(Yep, you may recognise the anxious looking fellow at the top o' the flyer)

The 5.45 News

Howdy folks... So heres a page from the second story which is gonna feature in  Nervous in a Cape 6... "The 5.45 News"

This guy is Pretty darn mean... but is he the villain?!?!? only time will tell... 

Gosh darn, abe is tired... it has most assuredly been a long week, with many ups and downs... He lost his voice (or rather words) for a while... But t'is all good... Its not always a such a bad thing to be unable to comment... 

Too tired to think... Its all rambling! ah ha!

Beat Happening.... Just listen to em '

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0wDo3pQ7MQ

Time To Draw! (No)

Well, Abes been mad crazy busy this week, no time to draw really now that he's a comic intern meh, meh, meh!

So in lieu of fresh works... heres the intended cover for Nervous in a Cape Issue 6!!!

Planning to have three stories included, Finished "A Scene by The Sea" (see 27th sept post) which ran to 17 pages in the end... Probably fit a "Fish Tale!" in too, and one more story, as yet to be drawn... I figure a 10 page sci-fi/ Super Hero romp, or some such....

So its all Coming along... But Still... Not enough spare time this week! I'll try make more next week!

Facebook Sellout

Well, Abe finally sold out... And with the money made... Bought in...

But now he has a hollow feeling inside. Merde!

Stylistically Approaching the Surface

Abe is thinking stylistically at the moment, and shall be experimenting with varying approaches etc. The internship/coursey thingy has opened his eyes somewhat...

Why not check out the londonprintstudio Comics site... The other interns produce some amazing works, and t'is well worth a look!

Drive was a very interesting film, a complete throwback, very well put together and directed, and with an interesting hero/antihero; a man with no name, only a profession. Heres some amazing synth pop from the film. Its a love or hate it piece...

College Feat Electric Youth - Real Hero

For Your Pleasure...

Something for your pleasure...

Have you heard the 70's French Band Dandelion? Abe was introduced to them last week, and thinks they are highly worth sharing! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwA8p1CzX2g

J'adore!!!

Je T'aime!

So. Abe got the Internship Thingy. And a smile.

Je T'aime!

A sunny, hot day. Life et al. Blah de Blah.

Working, Is Doodling

Heres page five from 'A Scene by The Sea', a wee 16-20 page comic I've been working on in September, at the moment I'm on 12, and its coming along... Just the words (as ever) may need a bit o' honing... I'm a' hoping its all leading towards  Nervous in a Cape issue 6!!! 

Ah Ha... Maybe three exclamation marks is too many?

Anyhoo, for issue 6, I'm thinking of working on two or three stories specifically for the comic (ala Optic Nerve), as opposed to the random collection of sketchbook cartoons and comics which have populated the last 5 issues...

I have an interview tomorrow, I've gotta make my portfolio real impressive, yes indeed.

Ho humm... 

It's Character Building, No?

It's Character Building, No?

Abe Remains Optimistic. I am making things, and there are things to make. Work, Internships et al = Pah, Blam! Kung Fu!

Comics.. Comics.. Comics...

Yumi Arai's Message To Rouge, 1975.... Awsome Girl Group Sounds!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6nnLkdc8OQ

Fish Tale No. 9

Hi how are you?

I'm fine. I think I lost my words though.

Heres another Fish Tale for your pleasure... The Lake district was wet and Beautiful.

Bloggers being annoying. right click, then open image in new tab to view properly. Sorry.

Cannon Gate Boys Basketball, 1950's

Heres a wee watercolour sketch  I made yesterday, Cannon Gate Boys Basketball Team in the late 1950's. The colour is of my own interpretation...  Ho humm...

I have no connection, Just a faux nostalgic, genuine aesthetic love of the photograph. did a bit of research into the live's of the players too... Gosh! the interweb makes these things so easy!

Getting really into Half-Japanese these days... Here's Charmed Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD1Yx8z0BXs

Application Doodles et al

Oh, and in other news....

Later today, Ill be dropping off an application for an internship in... COMICS... at the London Print Studio. Boy oh boy... It'd be pretty darn cool... Above is a section of the form... 

ho humm

Just Another Darn Page!

Just another page from the grande Bande Dessine experiment...

As you can probably tell, colour vs b&w remains up in the air... This week five more pages have been drawn, so its coming on... I'll leave the real colouring and words till the end, this is just part o' my thinking process...

Abe Listens to Five Till

Heres a page from me sketchbook depicting my reaction to hearing mmm's (Me My Moe) amazing album 'Five Till'. Really some of the most beautiful vocals ever... Anyhoo The album IS AMAZING, but pretty difficult to get hold of if you're not in Japan...

Not sure if I was naked or not... ho humm.

"bye bye" live, the best bits from about 3.30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yj6jajg2Cg&feature=related

And her Myspace, worth it just for the almost diabetes inducingly sweet music video, its pretty Bizzare, giant dancing rabbits et al...

http://www.myspace.com/mmmmeguho

Fish Tale No. 8

Abe is cycling everywhere, on account o' the fact that tis a financial necessity... Transport in London is most assuredly pricy...

But for the past week however, this has meant the joy of cycling up Haverstock hill on the way both to and from home...

Abes knees are all quaking by the time the summit is reached... But then...

Another great Take-Away-Show... Tenniscoats "Baibaba Bimba" simple, twee... C'est Magnifique! And a great video in such a grey place...

Strongman Gets Some Colour!

A new colour scheme? Still set on B&W but experimenting anyhow.

Back to drawing now! Just time for an awesome song... Supreme Cool Beings 'Mr Potato'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMFjw9kwuwA

Fish Tale No. 7

Just another wee installment in the fish tale saga, a few pages from me sketchbook.

Comics are the way forward! And I dont wanna go backward, leftward, or rightward. I hope to have created something very real before the year's out... To validate my petite existence in some way or other. hmmm.

Abe went to art school for a reason... And he is aware that there will likely be little to no financial result to his scribbles... he is drawing because it is the right thing for him to do.

Just like writing in the third person was...

Adagio for TRON. Broody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFIXKXYfEy0

Drawer Boy (Faux Self Portrait)

Fish Tale No. 6

Fish Tale No. 6

An interesting few days in London...

Everything closed in anticipation...

Abe will draw!

A Supercool Look!

It looks supercool , no???!!! Ah ha!

Got Three more pages drawn today, back in Kew Gardens for four hours... just drawing and sketching... T is most assuredly the season for it...

Jillian Tamaki is indeed a gosh darn awesome illustrator... ho humm... Abe First came across her 'Brooklyn Follies' series in her book 'Indoor Voice'. But her Super Mutant Magic Academy (gasp!) web strip is even better!

http://mutantmagic.com/

Wilbert Harrison Lets Work Together, C'est Magnifique!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYWiUErA9Kw

The Hour in Black & White

The comic works in black & white, not that colour was to its detriment, just that, well; it works better in black & white...

I am going to set time aside now to draw, until I am required to go earn my keep at 5pm; a good four hours o' working...

Golly gosh! The Hour Just keeps getting better and better... Much recommended... Ben Whishaw and Dominic West!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0133jn4/The_Hour_Episode_3/

Fish Tale Nos. 4 & 5

Fish Tale Issues 4 & 5!!!

I am going to make art!

(Especially static images placed in deliberate narrative sequence)

I am going to save the princess!

(Unless she doesn't need saving)

I am going to be tall!

(Like a tree)

But small also.

(Like a shrub)

Money is not the objective, but it would be nice to live on art! This superhero business doesn't pay...

TV on the Radio's great short...

http://www.vimeo.com/25299860

Fish Tale No. 3!

Fish Tale No. 3.

No reason or method. Just two pages from me sketchbook.

Listen to The Softies!, Twee Sweet Indie Pop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2sRKUl3joc

Collage et al

The Children are Reciting... First four of a series of twelve... Collage, Ink, Watercolour and Pencil on paper.

Box Tale!

Today Abe set down to 6hrs of drawing etc before work... Listened to Radio 4, Drew a page and layouts for four more... coloured two small comics, conceptualised some Doodle Daydreams and a thousand other nothings...

Heres a Box Tale I drew on a Daler Rowney Ink Box... 3d drawing ala Souther Salazar or David Shrigley...

Off to work in 10 mins!

'I live My Broken Dreams'- Daniel Johnston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICLXH8wdXhk

Fish Tale!

Four pages from me sketchbook... Fish Tale 1 & 2...

Drawn on friday evening at Kew Gardens once again in the summer sun, surrounded by trees, with long grass between my toes...

Kimya Dawson, 'Im Fine'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnz0d0tLT1k&feature=related

Oh, on the fish subject... this film (Fish Story) was flipping fun and wonderfully absurd... Can Punk save the world?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC5E4-LRrTk

Abe Reviews a Film... SUPER

Feeling Old!

Doodle Daydream Hits 100!

Hit The Link, Silly!

More Comicy Comic

Well, the words aren't final...

Looking back at the blog, it has become all aboot this comic recently... I guess it's just my way to keep up le momentum or whatever, but think ill post some differing and dithering stuff again soon. Ho humm.

Just re-read Haunted by Philippe Dupuy for about the 17th time (ah ha!). Everything in the book is perfect; but the art is exquisite! and t'was for the most part drawings from his sketchbook, not intended for publication. C'est Magnifique!

Violent Femmes- Prove My Love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OENAQhh0Es&feature=related

Oh also!!! Tommorrow doodledaydream reaches its 100th Issue!!! Gasp!!!

Just Another Wee Doodle

Heres another page for the comic... I'm at just over sixteen now, and its been three weeks, so it has some momentum... Onwards and upwards etc!

Folks comment on my blog when I post depressive monologues... Ah ha... Mayhap I should stop taking antidepressants?!

Just kidding, anyhow my moods are purely self-indulgent funks, which usually pass after a few days.... Still, thanks... Your nice comments make me feel like a bastion of aspiration, with like mad crazy superpowers et al!

Heres the song Sukiyaki, By Kyu Sakamoto... Amazing... First came across it during Mad Men series two, a few years back. Love it.

Art In Me Heart!

Please forgive my last whiney grumpy frumpy post!

Abe bounced back again, The princess is lovely, its sunny, and I can be a hero... My guitar has a nice ring to it, my pencils are sharp, and there's ink in my pen!

Got Art In My Heart.

Heres another page from the comic, stayed up last night colouring five pages... I know, I know, I should draw em' all first and colour later... But I'm in love with the finished items, and seeing as how t'is all going to be a larger story composed of small stories, not such a bad thing... ho humm

You MUST listen to the Fleetwoods now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvkj4TiSaNQ

Heart!

Complainy Painey!

A pre-emptive apologie for this Grumpy Monologue. Is it still a monologue if only in writing?... um.

There is, apparently, always something that creeps up on you, some small thing, which keeps you worried just enough to prevent one actually being able to achieve anything. Insecurities, responsibilities, financial security et al. I had just gotten onto a good thing with the steady drawing of both my daily comic, and the new comic...

When along comes a dramatic loss of money... Wow! Pow! Keep That Head Down Abe!

"Duck" it all, I say. Or rather perhaps I might do, if I was not in the unfortunate position of requiring the steady income of my "just above minimum wage occupation". sigh, there is nothing worse then feeling "trapped".

Quit your job if you hate it so much. But money being an unfortunate necessity... get another one first. And if nowhere else will employ you....

Post a grumpy, whiney, thingy on your blog. Apologies, o' dear reader.

Twenty applicants for every job. Merde!

There is, apparently, always something that creeps up on you, some small thing, which keeps you worried just enough to prevent one actually being able to achieve anything. Insecurities, responsibilities, financial security et al.

"Duck" it all I say. Or I would If I was not in the unfortunate position of requiring

New Grand Bande Dessine!

So, here we have another page of the new grande Bande Dessine experiment!

Pages from the old one may fit in here and there, but this essentially be a new creature.

Caught the St. Martins degree show yesterday (the final day), a mixture of things, but essentially a good show, there was one particularly lovely video made up of of all the times 'Hit It!" had been said in film...

which reminded me of this amazing video... All the fictional artists to appear on celluloid, compiled... a wonderful narrative emerges...

http://www.choppedliver.info/index.php?/not-in-order-of-appearance/

Madness of the artist et al...

The Big Redraw!

So. Redrawing... Having reached just over 60 pages I looked back and... Um. The story had unwound... And all the thoughts I'd wished to convey had been lost... blah de blah.

I'm kinda redrawing now... but the story will differ, so maybe redrawing is the wrong word....

"beginning a new comic" is perhaps more adequate?

Heres page no.1.

Abe Meets The Ego Monster!

Gasp!

Abe's second appallingly bad album. Its all free to listen/download over at nervousinacape.bandcamp.com

Just a wee gift (or not?!) my way of saying thanks for the reading o' me blog, and taking o' time to view my comics. Je T'aime!

Strongman

Heres a page from me sketchbook, drawn last week at Kew Gardens, lying on the grass in the evenings sun. sigh.

You may recognise strongman from the "eternal wrestler" logo I put up last week... He'll also be appearing more over at doodle daydream

Oh, and check out ANNEXE magazine, a literary/arts/musicy e-mag... which a hip cat from St Martins is putting together. I done put some comics in it.

Last link... The Marine Girls- a really grand group from the 80's, think the Shaggs meet The Shangri-Las

Like totally rad!

This Thing Later

This thing later... No I didn't design the poster (even I wouldn't call myself the one and only!)

Abe and the Magic Pub

I'm'na gonna be filling a large room (in an abandoned pub, just off Essex Rd) with art et al tomorrow. Some folks from work are having a day long mini art fest thingy, with film & music... and comics too.

The problem was that I had a grand scheme, but not enough time to realise it... so I shall just throw it all at the walls and see what sticks.

I laid out some of the comics from the past two months on a bench in Golders Hill Park. And was pleased.

Je t'aime.